Multimedia

Narratives

Site Information

Who's Who - Wilhelm Solf

Wilhelm Heinrich Solf (1862-1936)
served as Germany's Colonial Secretary from 1911 and, in the days prior to
revolution in Germany, as its last Imperial Foreign Minister.

Sponsored Links

A firm advocate and
supporter of Kaiser
Wilhelm II's desire to construct a German empire to compete with
Europe's other major colonial powers, Britain and France, Solf served from
1900-11 as Governor of Western Samoa.

In 1911, upon his return
from Western Samoa, Solf embarked upon a new brief as the Imperial Colonial
Secretary. Unfortunately for Solf's ambitions the outbreak of the
First World War actually led to a diminishment of Germany's colonies in
Africa and in the Pacific, to Britain and Japan respectively.

In consequence Solf lobbied
for a negotiated peace settlement in 1917 and 1918 which would restore
Germany's African colonies while ceding her gains in the west since 1914.
Since the declaration of war in August 1914 Solf had been firm in his
opposition to an annexationist policy in the west.

He further came out in
opposition to the Third Supreme Command's implementation of unrestricted
submarine warfare, a disastrous policy move which directly led to
U.S. entry into the war in April 1917.

With military defeat
imminent and the likelihood of revolution growing Solf was appointed
Imperial Foreign Minister in October 1918. In this capacity he
undertook negotiations for an
armistice
with the Allies which came into effect at 11 am on 11 November 1918.

He resigned as Foreign
Minister on 13 December 1918 with the onset of the German revolution.
From 1920-28 he served as German Ambassador to Japan in Tokyo, helping to
negotiate the German-Japan treaty of 1927.

Although he supported the
election of former German Army Chief of Staff
Paul von Hindenburg
as German President in 1932, Solf planned to co-found a new moderate party
together with other moderates; the endeavour was however unsuccessful.

He died in 1936.

Sponsored Links

Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

A 'Woolly Bear' comprised a German shrapnel shell, which burst with a cloud-like explosion.